UK Supermarket Research Articles

Prevalence of sensitization to 'improver' enzymes in UK supermarket bakers.

Supermarket bakers are exposed not only to flour and alpha-amylase but also to other 'improver' enzymes, the nature of which is usually shrouded by commercial sensitivity. We aimed to determine the prevalence of sensitization to 'improver' enzymes in UK supermarket bakers. We examined the prevalence of sensitization to enzymes in 300 bakers, employed by one of two large supermarket bakeries, who had declared work-related respiratory symptoms during routine health surveillance. Sensitization was determined using radioallergosorbent assay to eight individual enzymes contained in the specific 'improver' mix used by each supermarket. The prevalence of sensitization to 'improver' enzymes ranged from 5% to 15%. Sensitization was far more likely if the baker was sensitized also to either flour or alpha-amylase. The prevalence of sensitization to an 'improver' enzyme did not appear to be related to the concentration of that enzyme in the mix. We report substantial rates of sensitization to enzymes other than alpha-amylase in UK supermarket bakers; in only a small proportion of bakers was there evidence of sensitization to 'improver mix' enzymes without sensitization to either alpha-amylase or flour. The clinical significance of these findings needs further investigation, but our findings indicate that specific sensitization in symptomatic bakers may not be identified without consideration of a wide range of workplace antigens.

How much sugar is hidden in drinks marketed to children? A survey of fruit juices, juice drinks and smoothies

ObjectiveTo investigate the amount of sugars in fruit juices, juice drinks and smoothies (FJJDS) marketed to children.DesignWe surveyed the sugars content (per 100 ml and standardised 200 ml portion) of...

Enhancing energy efficiency in supermarket refrigeration systems through a robust energy performance indicator

Supermarket chains require benchmarking and analysing refrigeration performance in order to manage their energy efficiency investments. This paper contributes in robustly assessing refrigeration system energy and carbon performance in which commonly believed drivers are used to conduct correlations. Based on this, refrigeration connected load, store opening hours and external temperature were found to construct a more representative energy performance indicator (EPI) than other metrics. By using such an indicator, it is possible to identify poor performing systems from an estate portfolio and thus select sites suitable for energy saving measures. Furthermore, energy impact from introducing natural refrigerants is examined using empirical data from a UK supermarket chain. It was found that CO2 systems have different seasonal performance than HFC systems, nonetheless on an annual basis no system has a clear edge over another. Lastly, other initiatives such as cabinet night blinds and suction pressure optimisation achieved 10% and 7% energy reduction respectively.

An Observational Study Of Practice Among Food Manufacturers In Defining Serving Sizes Of Chocolate Confectionery Products Sold In UK Supermarkets

An Observational Study Of Practice Among Food Manufacturers In Defining Serving Sizes Of Chocolate Confectionery Products Sold In UK Supermarkets

Turnaround at William Morrison Supermarkets PLC, 2004-2007

The paper examines the turnaround in the fortunes of the UK supermarket chain William Morrison, which followed the takeover of Safeway PLC. Three elements of the turnaround process and their linkages are examined: the role of corporate governance, the stages of strategic planning and the role of key individuals. Evidence is drawn from interview notes with senior executives and contemporary press accounts. The case illustrates the importance of corporate governance in turnaround situations as the catalyst for management change, which can then facilitate the development of staged recovery plans.

Reds are more important than greens: how UK supermarket shoppers use the different information on a traffic light nutrition label in a choice experiment.

BackgroundColour coded front-of-pack nutrition labelling (‘traffic light labelling’) has been recommended for use in the UK since 2006. The voluntary scheme is used by all the major retailers and some manufacturers. It is not clear how consumers use these labels to make a single decision about the relative healthiness of foods. Our research questions were: Which of the four nutrients on UK traffic light labels (total fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt) has the most influence on decisions? Do green lights or red lights have a greater influence? Are there age and gender differences in how people use the colour and nutrient information?MethodsWe recruited participants from a UK supermarket chain membership list to conduct an online choice experiment in May 2014. We analysed data using multilevel logisitic models with food choices (n = 3321) nested in individuals (n = 187) as the unit of analysis.ResultsA food with more reds was 11.4 (95 % confidence intervals: 10.3, 12.5) times less likely to be chosen as healthy, whereas a food with more greens was 6.1 (5.6, 6.6) times more likely to be chosen as healthy. Foods with better colours on saturated fat and salt were 7.3 (6.7, 8.0) and 7.1 (6.5, 7.8) times more likely to be chosen as healthy – significantly greater than for total fat (odds ratio 4.8 (4.4, 5.3)) and sugar (5.2 (4.7, 5.6)). Results were broadly similar for different genders and age groups.ConclusionsWe found that participants were more concerned with avoiding reds than choosing greens, and that saturated fat and salt had a greater influence on decisions regarding healthiness than total fat and sugar. This could influence decisions about food reformulation and guidance on using nutrition labelling.

Media effects on sustainable food consumption. How newspaper coverage relates to supermarket expenditures

AbstractInformation provision is often considered to have an important role to play in changing consumers' choices. However, there is still no consensus on the mechanisms by which information might influence specific consumer expenditures, especially in relation to environmentally friendly food products. This paper explores whether the public debate on sustainable consumption in UK broadsheets and tabloids relates to observed consumers' expenditures. It does so by relating the number of published articles on selected sustainability topics to consumers' food expenditure in a leading UK supermarket from May 2009 to May 2011, using regression analysis. We selected only regular supermarket's shoppers who frequently buy the Sunday editions of the analyzed newspapers. Results indicate very sparse and inconsistent correlations suggesting that the impact of information is only minimally effective. The number of newspaper articles relates mainly to expenditures on organic, wholegrain and low salt products, possibly indicating a preference for healthy food. No consistent effects are observed when media target a change in more general food categories (e.g. a reduction in food of animal origin), although we observed some influence on purchases of fish. Finally, results indicate some correlations with purchases of meat for the readers of the Telegraph. In order to contextualize some of the results, we applied content analysis to a subsample of published articles on organic food. The qualitative approach shows that the framing of the news is important: change is positively related to information proposed uncritically; and negatively to information contextualized as a highly structured debate.

Assessing retail market competition for multi-aquaculture products

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate market competition for three product types of salmon (smoke, fresh and whole salmon) to understand whether supermarkets are exercising market power over salmon consumers in the UK retail market.Design/methodology/approach– Competition and the corresponding pricing conduct among supermarkets are tested by applying dynamic structural simultaneous system equations and using similar data set used by Jaffryet al.(2003).Findings– The results indicate that the market is competitive for fresh fillets and whole salmon but retailers appeared to exert some level of market power for smoke salmon. The hypothesis that market power is the same for all three products in the study was rejected; further indicating that the market for fresh products are competitive while retailers may be exercising market power over consumers for smoke salmon.Research limitations/implications– Current data limitations did not allow the investigation to cover the past few years in the modelling process. However, the results are still relevant as there have been no major structural changes in aquaculture products retailing landscape in the recent past.Practical implications– Concerns over the supermarkets’ exercise of market power over consumers have prompted the competition authorities to continue investigating the situation in the UK supermarket sector since 1996. The most recent investigation by competition authorities was in 2006. In all cases, no evidence of market power was found despite increased market concentration. Results from this study generally uphold the claim of the competition authorities in the UK.Originality/value– This is the first study to use a model within a structural econometric framework of firms to test for competitiveness of salmon products in the UK market place.

How Far Can Corporate Action on Climate Change Take Us? Reflections from the Retail Sector

This paper presents the key findings from an analysis of the climate change practices and performance, from the mid-1990s through to the present day, of (a) the UK supermarket sector, (b) the world’s twenty-five largest retailers. It summarises the overall trends in relative and absolute performance from the retail sector, compares the performance of UK, US and Japanese retailers, and comments on the implications for the design and implementation of climate change policy.

Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial of an intervention to increase the use of traffic light food labelling in UK shoppers (the FLICC trial).

BackgroundTraffic light labelling of foods—a system that incorporates a colour-coded assessment of the level of total fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt on the front of packaged foods—has been recommended by the UK Government and is currently in use or being phased in by many UK manufacturers and retailers. This paper describes a protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial of an intervention designed to increase the use of traffic light labelling during real-life food purchase decisions.Methods/designThe objectives of this two-arm randomised controlled pilot trial are to assess recruitment, retention and data completion rates, to generate potential effect size estimates to inform sample size calculations for the main trial and to assess the feasibility of conducting such a trial. Participants will be recruited by email from a loyalty card database of a UK supermarket chain. Eligible participants will be over 18 and regular shoppers who frequently purchase ready meals or pizzas. The intervention is informed by a review of previous interventions encouraging the use of nutrition labelling and the broader behaviour change literature. It is designed to impact on mechanisms affecting belief and behavioural intention formation as well as those associated with planning and goal setting and the adoption and maintenance of the behaviour of interest, namely traffic light label use during purchases of ready meals and pizzas. Data will be collected using electronic sales data via supermarket loyalty cards and web-based questionnaires and will be used to estimate the effect of the intervention on the nutrition profile of purchased ready meals and pizzas and the behavioural mechanisms associated with label use. Data collection will take place over 48 weeks. A process evaluation including semi-structured interviews and web analytics will be conducted to assess feasibility of a full trial.DiscussionThe design of the pilot trial allows for efficient recruitment and data collection. The intervention could be generalised to a wider population if shown to be feasible in the main trial.Trial registrationISRCTN: ISRCTN19316955

Managing attendance at work: the role of line managers in the UK grocery retail sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of line managers in managing attendance at work in the lean regime of grocery retailing. The increasing competitiveness within the sector, coupled with the sophisticated control systems in place put pressure on managers to keep labour costs low. Attendance, therefore, becomes a critical factor, particularly as staffing levels become leaner. Taking this into account, it is necessary to understand the parameters of the line managers’ role in managing attendance, especially within the lean food retail market and the antagonistic terrain of the supermarket shop floor. The paper discusses the impact of lean retailing on line managers’ authority and provides a fresh sociological analysis regarding their role in managing attendance, offering insights into managerial practices on the UK supermarket shop floor. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on qualitative research evidence from two case study grocery retail organizations in the UK. It reports on 44 semi-structured interviews and provides a multi-level analysis aiming to understand the different perspectives on the problem examined. Findings – The paper reveals the existence of a centralized absence management policy and highlights the greater involvement of line managers in this procedure. Line managers though were subjected to forces of bureaucratic control, intensification and degradation of their work. Despite having an active role within the attendance management process and high responsibility for the implementation of rules and procedures handed down by head office, they had limited authority over the process. Line managers perceived the latter as routine and a box-ticking exercise and had developed coping tactics to deal with the control from above. Originality/value – This paper provides practical and theoretical considerations over the role of line management in the labour process, investigating their role in managing attendance at work within the lean terrain of food retailing. This research contributes to the ongoing academic discussions related to the devolvement of HR responsibilities to the line, highlighting the great involvement of line managers in the absence policy. It also provides a sociological perspective over line managers’ authority and discretion in managing attendance, revealing that they were subjected to direct and bureaucratic control within their role in attendance management. However, the research reveals that line managers were not passive in the face of direct control from above and had developed tactics to cope with the monotony and the repetition of this process, attempting to somehow escape the top-down control they were subjected to.

The nutritional content and cost of supermarket ready-meals. Cross-sectional analysis

Background: Over-reliance on convenience foods, including ready-meals, has been suggested as one contributor to obesity. Little research has systematically explored the nutritional content of supermarket ready-meals. We described the nutritional content and cost of UK supermarket ready-meals. Methods: We conducted a survey of supermarket own-brand chilled and frozen ready-meals available in branches of ten national supermarket chains in one city in northern England. Data on price, weight and nutritional content of meals in four ranges (‘healthier’, luxury, economy and standard) and of six types (macaroni cheese, meat lasagne, cottage pie, chicken tikka masala, fish pie, and sweet and sour chicken) were collected. Nutritional content was compared to ranges used to identify low, medium and high fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt in nationally recommended front-of-pack labelling. Results: 166 ready-meals were included from 41 stores. Overall, ready-meals were high in saturated fat and salt, and low in sugar. One-fifth of meals were low in fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar, including two-thirds of ‘healthier’ meals. Meals that were low for three out of the four front-of-pack nutrients were the cheapest. Conclusions: Supermarket ready-meals do not have a healthful nutritional profile overall. However, a number of healthier meals were available – particularly amongst meals specifically marked as ‘healthier’. There was little evidence that healthier meals necessarily cost more. Further effort is required to encourage producers to improve the nutritional profile of the full range of ready-meals, and not just those specifically labelled as ‘healthier’.

The influence of interactive, non-interactive, implicit and explicit CSR communication on young adults’ perception of UK supermarkets’ corporate brand image and reputation

Purpose – Corporations communicate CSR policies through a variety of methods, and the goal of the study is to explore young adult consumers’ communication preferences and the implications for managers to effectively communicate CSR to boost their corporate brand image and reputation. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Set within the context of the UK supermarket industry, the study adopts a qualitative research approach and a purposeful sampling method, collecting data from 30 young adult consumers in the south-east of the UK. The data collection method used was online bulletin board focus groups, face-to-face focus groups, face-to-face interviews and an online questionnaire. Research propositions are developed, evaluated and synthesized into a conceptual framework. Findings – The findings show that interactive CSR communication functions as an effective method of improving consumers’ emotional brand value, knowledge and memory of supermarket CSR. The findings have the p...

USE OF AN INSULATED BAG FROM THE SUPERMARKET TO MAINTAIN 'ELSANTA' STRAWBERRY TEMPERATURE TO HOUSEHOLDS

The issue of temperature control or maintenance for perishable fresh produce is an important area and particularly so for highly perishable products such as strawberries. Much research and investigation has been on cool chain stops at the retail outlet and there are very limited studies of the “last mile” between the retail outlet and the consumer domestic refrigerator. This study looks at the typical temperature of ‘Elsanta’ strawberries at the time of purchase in representative UK supermarkets and then the temperature rise of both the pulp and the air within the punnet under different temperature scenarios. Results from this study showed that the range of mean pulp temperature at purchase from six supermarkets was 6.3 to 13.0°C during a 10-week retail display period. Three temperature scenarios were simulated from 5 to 10°C, 5 to 15°C, and 10 to 30°C. A single punnet of ‘Elsanta’ strawberries was put in a supermarket plastic bag (High Density Polyethylene) or within the light weight insulated bags (LIB-White or LIB-Reflective). The physical and mechanical characteristics of three materials were measured for thickness, tensile strength, percent elongation, and water vapour transmission rate. The insulated bags kept pre-chilled strawberries and delayed the increase of air and pulp temperature by about 20 and 10% respectively over 3 h, when compared with control (plastic bag). This study showed that the insulated bag has a potential to assist cool temperature management and reduce strawberry deterioration from supermarket to household.

Getting a low-paid job in French and UK supermarkets: from walk-in to online application?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the recruitment practices of the French and UK retail industry. It analyses the influence of specific business constraints, labour market institutions and employment patterns on recruitment practices. It devotes attention to incidences of the shift from classic to web-based hiring methods. Design/methodology/approach – The cases of two leading food retail chains are explored. This research draws on a mixed approach using semi-structured interviews, the analysis of online job-advertisement content and web sites. Findings – According to the literature, local and informal hiring channels (walk-in application, word-of-mouth, in-store adverts) are mainly used to fill low-paid vacancies in food retail chains. They are congruent with the key screening criteria as they allow face-to-face selection and provide candidates from the surrounding area. However, the food retail chains in this research have implemented a centralised and at-a-distance process which contrasts with the classic methods. Based on an “Internet-only scheme” and online testing, it is especially selective in the UK. Research limitations/implications – The number of semi-structured interviews is limited. Additional investigations are needed to evaluate whether the at-a-distance processes are isolated or whether they reflect growing practices. Practical implications – Retail food employers have to maintain a diversity of local hiring channels and not to indiscriminately embrace the at-a-distance scheme, which is not adapted to evaluate the key requirements. Social implications – A centralised and at-a-distance recruitment process decreases unfair face-to-face discrimination in selection but at the same time introduces indirect discrimination. This process may be interpreted as a way to target students; there is a risk that it exacerbates inequalities in low-wage labour markets. Originality/value – The topic is poorly explored. There is a need to understand web-based recruitment.

Supermarket Promotions and Food Prices: A Note

AbstractUsing a sample comprising nearly 250,000 weekly prices from the largest seven UK supermarket chains, this note investigates two pricing practices that have attracted public interest: the tendency for promotions to ‘disguise’ rises in non‐sale prices and the inflation of prices prior to sales which ‘exaggerate’ the discount. Analysing price dynamics before and after periods of promotional discounting results show post‐sale prices are typically lower than pre‐sale prices, contrary to the disguise hypothesis. We do, however, find evidence of exaggeration of the discount, which may potentially explain why prices fall after discounts, although the evidence is not sufficiently widespread for this to be the sole cause. Results parallel the competition authority's view of supermarket promotions and point to the useful contribution that retail price microdata might play in keeping prices in check in countries where highly concentrated retail sectors raise similar concerns.

S5 Prevalence Of Ige Sensitisation To 'improver Mix' Enzymes Among Symptomatic Bakers Working In Uk Scratch Bakeries

Introduction and objectives Bakers working in supermarket scratch bakeries in the UK are exposed not only to flour and fungal alpha amylase but also other enzymes, incorporated in a pre-mixed bag of ‘dough improvers’. Bakers and their employers are usually unaware of which enzymes are being used within the ‘improver mix’. We have examined the question of whether supermarket bakers develop sensitisation to ‘improver mix’ enzymes other than fungal alpha amylase. Methods We assayed specific IgE sensitisation in 300 bakers employed by one of two large UK supermarkets who, at routine health surveillance, had declared work related upper or lower respiratory symptoms. Sensitisation was determined using radioallergosorbent assay to enzymes contained within the specific ‘improver’ mix used by the employing supermarket; each mix contained eight individual enzymes which were not necessarily common to both supermarkets. Results Bakers were sensitised to each of the individual ‘improver’ enzymes with a prevalence ranging from 1.8% to 23.9%; the frequency did not appear to be associated with the quantity of enzyme incorporated in the mix. Sensitisation was far more likely if a baker was sensitised also to either flour or fungal alpha amylase; but a small proportion (5%) of bakers who were sensitised to neither flour nor fungal alpha amylase had specific IgE to one or more of the ‘improver mix’ enzymes. Conclusions Bakers working in UK supermarket bakeries can become sensitised to improver enzymes other than fungal alpha amylase. The clinical significance of this remains unclear but the message is important both in the diagnosis of bakers with work-related respiratory symptoms and in any programme of immunological surveillance.

P134 Sensitisation To Cross-reactive Carbohydrate Determinants In Britain's Bakers: The Implications For Health Surveillance

Introduction and objectives The diagnosis of baker’s asthma as part of health surveillance schemes in some UK supermarkets relies on determining sensitisation to wheat flour and/or alpha amylase. Recently, data have emerged suggesting that serum IgE analysis in bakers may be complicated by the presence of clinically irrelevant specific IgE to cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCDs), which are complex-type Asn (N)-linked glycan structures commonly formed in plants. Potentially this might lead to false positive flour specific IgE assays, which would have an impact on bakers undergoing surveillance. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of CCD sensitisation in UK bakers and investigate the impact of CCD specific IgE within a health surveillance setting. Methods Serum samples from UK bakers attending our occupational asthma clinic (n = 209) were analysed for specific IgE to CCD (MUXF 3 ) using ImmunoCAP assay (Phadia). Any positive samples were further tested for specific IgE to grass pollen, and competitive inhibition assays were used to determine cross-reactivity between CCD, flour and grass pollen. Results Sensitisation rates to CCD in our population of UK bakers were low (7%) despite high sensitisation rates to grass pollen (48%) and flour (60%). Sensitisation to CCD was more prevalent in those sensitised to either flour or grass than in those not sensitised to flour (11.5% vs 0%, p Conclusions Our study demonstrated that a minority of bakers were sensitised to CCD and, interestingly, this was associated with being co-sensitised with both flour and grass. It is unlikely that CCDs have major implications for the health surveillance for UK bakeries. In the minority of bakers with CCD specific IgE, there was some suggestion that CCDs may play a role in the cross-reactivity between flour and grass pollen, although in others it was less likely. Within the clinical setting, it may be prudent to measure CCD specific IgE in bakers who are co-sensitised to both flour and grass pollen.

Pricing of Eco-Labels for Salmon in UK Supermarkets

Eco-labels are important features of many natural resource and food markets. They certify that a product has a desirable intrinsic quality, typically related to a public good such as being sustainably produced. In an increasing number of markets, consumers can choose between different labels that certify different attributes. Two issues that have received limited attention are whether pricing varies across different eco-labels and to what extent different retailers have adopted different pricing strategies for eco-labels. This paper investigates these issues by estimating a hedonic price model for salmon sold in Glasgow, U.K. for eight different retail chains, two eco-labels, and one label of origin. The results show substantial variation in the prices of the different eco-labels and that eco-label premiums vary across retail chains.

Sainsbury’s puts the convenience into training

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to observe that UK supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has opened a college to train management teams for its fast-expanding network of local convenience stores. Design/methodology/approach – This study describes the reasons for the college and what it will seek to achieve. Findings – This paper explains that the company has more than 3,000 team-leader and management positions to fill over the next four years to power the growth of convenience stores in Greater London. The new convenience training college will train team leaders and store managers in technical and behavioral skills. Practical implications – It reveals that the college has six training rooms and will be run by “convenience capability trainers” to ensure that everyone has the right skills for the job. It complements Sainsbury’s existing training facilities – six food colleges and one bakery college. Social implications – The paper highlights the growing importance of convenience stores on the UK retail scene. Originality/value – It claims that the new training college will not only benefit Sainsbury’s convenience-store growth but will also give managers the expertise and theoretical knowledge about what it means to be a leader in retail.